Pulling-over machine



April 1, 1941.

H. LANE PULLING-OVER MACHINE Filed April 17, 1940 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 AWE/V7275.-

April 1, 1941. H. LANE PULLIHG-OVER MACHINE Filed April 17, 1940 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 Patented Apr. 1, 1941 PULLlNG-OVER MACHINE Harold Lane,- Leicester, England, assignor to United Shoe Machinery Corporation, Borough of Flemington, N. J. a corporationof New Jersey Application April 1'1, 1940, Serial No. 330,151 In Great Britain May 26, 1939 3 Claims.

This invention relates to machines for pulling uppers over lasts, and is herein illustrated as applied to a machineof the same type as disclosed in United States Letters Patent No. 1,962,260,

granted on June 12, 1934, on an application of W. T. B. Roberts, but modified in certain respects as further disclosed in Letters Patent No. 1,979,420, granted on. November 6, 1934, on a joint application of G. P. Swales, W. T. B. Roberts and the present applicant. It is to be understood, however, that the invention is'not limited to machines of that particular type.

Machines of the above-mentioned type include in their organization a shoe rest for supporting a last and its shoe materials by engagement with an insole on the last, grippers for pulling the upper over the last, fastening-inserting devices movable widthwise of the last into positions for driving fastenings through the margin of the upper and into the insole at the opposite sides of the forepart to fasten the upper, and side clamp arms which are movable widthwise of the last into operative positions prior to such positioning movements of the fastening-inserting devices. Each of the side clamp arms, as such machines have been constructed heretofore, carries a pair of clamp members arranged respectively to engage the upper in a location opposite the side face of the forepart of the last and in a location over a portion of the top of the forepart of the to the shoe, as illustrated in United States Letters Patent No. 1,514,614, granted on November 11, 1924, on an application of J. Gouldbourn and W. T. Minett. The clamp member engaging the upper opposite the side face of the last is mounted to turn relatively to the clamp arm about an axis extending heightwise of the shoeto permit it to adjust itself to the lengthwise contour of the side of the shoe; and this member, after it has engaged the shoe, serves as means to limit the inward positioning movement of the fasteninginserting device at that side of the shoe, this .dee vice being so mounted as topermit. it to turn about an axis extending heightw'ise of'the'shoe to a position determined by the clamp l'meinber.

Accordingly, the fastening-inserting devices at the opposite sides of the shoe assume positions widthwise of the shoe and angularly about axes extending heightwise of the shoe determined by the side clamp members which have previously engaged the shoe, the purpose being to position the fastening-inserting devices so that they will drive the fastenings at the proper distances from the edge of the insole.

While the above-described construction provides for suflicient accuracy with respect to the locations of the fastenings under most conditions, it has been found that when the last is so shaped that it has a pronounced bulge at the inner side of its iorepart, there is less certainty that the fasten-ings at that side of the shoe bottom will be properly located, since the clamp member engaging that side of the shoe is actually spaced more or less widthwise of the shoe from the edge of the insole. Such uncertainty is increased if the machine is equipped to drive at each side not only a pair of fastenings near the end of the tip line, but also athird fastening spaced a substantial distance heelwardly of the pair of fastenings and adapted in welt work to serve as an anchor for toe binder wire. While that portion of the fastening-inserting device at the inner side of the shoe which cooperates with the side clamp member to determine the locations of the fastenings maybe adjusted in view of the shape of the last, it is nevertheless difiicult to make an adjustment sufiiciently accurate for the best results; and a readjustment, moreover, must ordinarily be made in' changing from right shoes to left shoes or vice versa.

An object of the present invention is to provide a construction such as to avoid the above-mentioned difliculties and to insure that regardless of the shape of the last the fastenings driven at the opposite sides of the shoe bottomwill be properly located. For the purposes in view, as herein illustrated, each side clamp arm carries, instead of a clamp member arranged as heretofore to engag'ethe upper opposite the side face of the last for a substantial distance heightwise of the last, a gage member which serves like that clamp member to determine the positions where the fastenings are driven, but is limited substantially engagement with the upper in a location opposite the edge face of the insole, so that its po- .tifolledby thelclamp arms through comparatively lightisp'ri'ng's, sothat the arms, may continue 1 their, inward movements after the ,gagemembers have been stopped by the shoe. In addition to the gage members, the clamp arms are provided with clamp members arranged to engage the upper over portions of the top of the forepart of the last to hold the last and shoe against heightwise displacement relatively to the shoe rest, as heretofore. In accordance further with the present invention, however, these clamp members are so supported on the clamp arms as to prevent any bodily yield thereof relatively to the arms when they are in clamping positions, the construction shown comprising holders for the clamp members which are fast on the arms and through which the members are positively controlled by the arms. Increased insurance is thus afforded against any heightwise displacement of the shoe relatively to the shoe rest, as compared with the earlier construction in which the corresponding clamp members over the top of the forepart were connected as hereinbefore described to shoe-engaging side clamp members and through the latter were controlled more or less by the shoe itself instead of directly by the clamp arms. With the shoe thus held, insurance is afforded that the above-mentioned gage members will be controlled precisely by the portions of the shoe intended.

The novel features of the invention, including various novel details of construction and combinations of parts, will now be more particularly described with reference to the accompanying drawings and thereafter pointed out in the claims.

In the drawings, I

Fig. 1 is a view from the rear portion of a machine of the illustrated type in a downwardly and forwardly inclined direction, showing portions of the machine in which the present invention is embodied, with parts in section;

Fig. 2 is an inverted plan view of a portion of the structure shown at the right-hand side of Fig. 1, with parts broken away;

Fig. 3 is a section on the line III--III of Fig. 2, but showing the parts in non-inverted positions; and

Fig. 4 shows a portion of the structure as viewed in the direction of the arrow IV on Fig. 1.

A machine of the illustrated type includes in its organization a shoe rest 2 for supporting a Last and its shoe materials by engagement with the bottom face of an insole 4 on the last, grippers 6 for gripping the margin of an upper at the opposite sides of the forepart and for pulling the upper over the last, side tacker arms 8 mounted for positioning movements widthwise of the last and provided with wipers ID for wiping the margin of the upper inwardly over the insole and with means for driving tacks through the upper and into the insole near the opposite side edges of the insole to fasten the upper in pulledover position, and side clamp arms I 2 movable widthwise of the last prior to the positioning movements of the arms 8 and having thereon means for clamping and holding the shoe and for also limiting as determined by the shoe the movements of the arms 8 into their tack-driving positions. Each tacker arm 8 carries a tack holder l4 and two or more tack drivers Hi, the tack holder and the drivers being movable as a unit about an axis extending heightwise of the shoe under control of a block I 8 which is swiveled on the arm 3 for movement about that axis, so that the tack holder and the drivers may adjust themselves, as determined by means on the clamp arm l2, for driving the tacks at the proper distances from the edge of the insole.

For purposes of this invention, each of the side clamp arms I2 is provided with a tack-gaging device comprising a gage member 20 which, instead of engaging the upper for a substantial distance heightwise of the last opposite the side face of the last like the side clamp member used heretofore, is limited substantially to engagement with the upper in a location opposite the edge face of the insole. The member 20 comprises a comparatively thin metal plate 2| (Fig. 3) arranged to extend in substantially parallel relation to the portion of the insole where the tacks are driven and a leather cover 22 on the plate, the plate and cover combined being of a thickness substantially the same, or but litttle greater than, the thickness of the insole. The member 20, as illustrated in Fig. 2, is curved lengthwise of the shoe at its inner edge to conform approximately to the contour of the corresponding edge portion of the insole. It may extend, for example, about two inches lengthwise of the shoe and may be about one-sixth of an inch in thickness, the arrangement being such that midway of its length it engages the upper in a location substantially at the tip line of a shoe provided with a tip. The member 20 is secured to a twopart block 24 mounted on a slide 25 which is movable in directions widthwise of the shoe in a guideway 28 in the arm l2. The block 24 has formed on it an arcuate rib 30 which lies in an arcuate guideway 32 in the slide 25 to permit the block and the gage member 20 toturn about an axis extending heightwise of the shoe to a position determined by the contour of the shoe opposite the edge face of the insole, the axis of such turning movement lying close to the edge of the insole when the parts are in operative positions. The arcuate rib 3D has formed in it a recess 34 (Fig. 2) the end walls 36 and 33 of which limit, by their engagement with a pin til in the slide 26, the turning movement of the block 24. A light spring 42 connected to one end of the plate 2] and to the arm I2 normally holds the plate in a position determined by engagement of the end wall 38 with the pin 40,

but permits the plate to turn to adjust itself to the shoe.

Each slide 25 has extending from its outer end a rod 44 lying parallel to the guideway 23, the outer end of the rod extending freely through a bore in a bracket 46 secured to the arm l2. A comparatively light compression spring 48 surrounds the rod 44 between the slide 25 and the bracket 46 and tends to force the slide inwardly toward the shoe, the spring being yieldable to permit continued movement of the arm l2 after the member 20 is stopped by the shoe. Nuts 5!) threaded on the outer end of the rod 44 serve by contact with the bracket 46 to limit inward movement of the slide 26 relatively to the arm (2.

When the side tacker arms 8 are swung inwardly to carry the tack drivers into positions for driving the tacks, plates 52 adjustably secured respectively to the different tack blocks l4 are carried into engagement with abutment faces 54 on the blocks 24 and with the ends of screws 56 which are threaded in these blocks, so that the positioning movements of the arms 8 are limited as determined by the gage members 2% and the tack blocks and drivers are caused to turn about axes extending heightwise of the shoe to positions also determined by these members. It will be understood that the screws 56 may be adjusted to vary the relation of the tack blocks and drivers to the members 26 in operating on shoes of different shapes, so that the several tacks will be driven at substantially equal distances from the edge of the insole. Since the positions of the gage members 20 are determined by portions of the upper located opposite the edge face of the insole, and under any conditions are not affected substantially by the contour of the sides of the last above the edge of the insole, the tacks will be properly positioned irrespective of any outwand bulge which there may be at one side or the other of the last above its bottom edge.

In addition to the gage members 2|], the side clamp arms l2 carry clamp members 58 arranged to engage the upper over portions of the top of the forepart of the last. In the construction herein shown each clamp member 58 comprises a pad 59 and a block 60 to which the pad is secured by screws 62, the block 60 being pivotally mounted on a pin 64 which is fast in a holder 66. The member 58 may accordingly turn about the pin 64 to adjust itself to the shoe. The holder 66 is adjustably secured by a screw 68 to the side clamp arm I2. It will thus be seen that the clamp members 58 are positively controlled by the arms [2 independently of the gage members 20, so. that they cannot yield relatively to the arms when they are in their clamping positions, and they therefore serve efiectively to prevent any heightwise displacement of the shoe relatively to the shoe rest 2. Insurance is thus afforded not only that the shoe will be properly supported against the thrust of the tack drivers, but also that the gage members 20 which determine the positions of the tacks will be controlled precisely by the portions of the shoe intended. It will be understood that when the clamp arms l2 are swung inwardly the gage members 20 are first stopped by the shoe and assume positions determined by the shoe, the springs 48 then yielding to permit such further movements of the clamp arms as to carry the clamp members 58 into firm supporting engagement with the shoe.

The manner of operation of the structure shown having been made clear in the foregoing description, no further description thereof is necessary.

It is to be understood that in defining the gaging devices or gage members as limited substantially to engagement with the upper in locations opposite the edge face of the insole it is not intended to exclude such slight overlapping of the lower edge portion of the last by these devices or members as may occur under some conditions.

Having described the invention, what I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent of the United States is:

1. In a pulling-over machine, the combination with a shoe rest arranged to support a last against heightwise movement by engagement with an insole on the last, grippers for pulling an upper over the last at the opposite sides of the last, fastening-inserting devices movable widthwise of the last into positions for driving fastenings through the upper and into the insole near the edge of the insole, and side clamp arms movable widthwise of the last into positions to control the last and shoe prior to such positioning movements of the fastening-inserting devices, of gaging devices carried by said clamp arms and yieldingly controlled thereby for engaging the shoe and limiting as determined by the shoe the positioning movements of the fastening-inserting devices, said gaging devices comprising gage members so formed and arranged as to limit them substantially to engagement with the upper in locations opposite the edge face of the insole, and clamp members also carried by said clamp arms for engaging the upper over portions of the top of the forepart and for thereby holding the last .and shoe against heightwise displacement relatively to the shoe rest, said clamp members being so supported on said arms as to prevent any bodily yield thereof relatively to the arms when they are in clamping positions.

2. In a pulling-over machine, the combination with a shoe rest arranged to support a last against heightwise movement by engagement with an insole on the last, grippers for pulling an upper over the last at the opposite sides of the last,

fastening-inserting devices movable widthwise of the last into positions for driving fastenings through the upper and into the insole near the edge of the insole, and side clamp arms movable widthwise of the last into positions to control the last and shoe prior to such positioning movements of the fastening-inserting devices, of gaging devices carried by said clamp arms for engaging the shoe and limiting as determined by the shoe the positioning movements of the fastening-inserting devices, said gaging devices being limited substantially to engagement with the upper in locations opposite the edge face of the insole and comprising gage plates arranged to lie opposite the edge face of the insolein substantially parallel relation'to the portions of the insole Where the fastenings are inserted, springs carried by the clamp arms for applying said gaging devices yieldingly to the shoe by the movements of the clamp arms, and clamp members also carried by said clamp arms for engaging the upper over portions of the top of the forepart and for thereby holding the last and shoe against heightwise displacement relatively to the shoe rest, said clamp members being so supported on said arms as to prevent any bodily yield thereof relatively to the arms when they are in clamping positions.

3. In a pulling-over machine, the combination with a shoe rest arranged to support a last against heightwise movement by engagement with an insole on the last, grippers for pulling an upper over the last at the opposite sides of the last, fastening-inserting devices movable widthwise of the last into positions for driving fastenings through the upper and. into the insole near the edge of the insole, and side clamp arms movable widthwise of the last into positions to control the last and shoe prior to such positioning movements of the fastening-inserting devices, of gaging devices carried by said clamp arms and yieldingly controlled thereby for engaging the shoe and limiting as determined by the shoe the positioning movements of the fastening-inserting devices, said gaging devices comprising gage members so formed and arranged as to limit them substantially to engagement with the upper in locations opposite the edge face of the insole, clamp members also carried by said clamp arms for" engaging the upper over portions of the top of the forepart and for thereby holding the last and shoe against heightwise displacement relatively to the shoe rest, and holders for said clamp members fast on said clamp arms and through which the clamp members are positively controlled by the arms independently of said gage members.

HAROLD LANE. 

